White House: Mandela interpreter claims 'regrettable'

The White House has reacted to allegations that a deaf interpreter onstage with Obama at Mandela’s memorial service was a ‘fake’.

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The interpreter standing onstage translating Obama's speech at Mandela's memorial on Tuesday.

The White House has stated that it’s a “shame” that the buzz over the interpreter on stage with Obama at Nelson Mandela’s memorial service may overwhelm the occasion.

"It would be a shame if a distraction about an individual who was on stage in any way detracted from the importance of that event and the importance of President Mandela's legacy," deputy spokesman Josh Earnest told reporters in Washington.

Watch: The sign interpreter signing at the Mandela memorial service
The White House meanwhile referred all questions on the matter to the South African government, but said it would be regrettable if the incident overshadowed Obama's "very powerful remarks" at the memorial service.

The South African government has launched an investigation following the allegations, the results of which would be made public.

Minister in the Presidency Collins Chabane said at a news conference the government was "looking into this matter", but would be unable to conclude its investigations on Wednesday because of other pressing demands ahead of Mandela's funeral on Sunday.

Attended by nearly 100 sitting and former heads of state or government, the interpreter was supposed to be translating speeches for deaf viewers tuning into the event around the world.

However the translator, who translated eulogies including those of US President Barack Obama and Mandela's grandchildren, was quickly labelled a "fake" by the deaf community, with prominent International and South African signing experts reacting online.

Wilma Newhoudt, a deaf member of the South African Parliament and Vice President of the World Federation of the Deaf, quickly labelled the signing as "shameful".
Bruno Druchen, National Director of the Deaf Federation of South Africa, alleged on Twitter that the man on stage was not an interpreter.

Breach of the UN Convention

Braam Jordaan, a deaf South African citizen and board member of the World Federation of the Deaf Youth Section (WFD) told SBS that if the interpeter is proven to be unqualified, this could be a breach of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

This was ratified by the South African government in 2007.

Article 9 of The Convention says that "States Parties" should take "appropriate measures" to provide "forms of live assistance and intermediaries, including guides, readers and professional sign language interpreters."

Article 21 also states that "States Parties shall take all appropriate measures to ensure that persons with disabilities can exercise the right to freedom of expression and opinion, including the freedom to seek, receive and impart information and ideas on an equal basis."

Complaints already raised over interpreter

Mrs Newhoudt has told SBS via email that the interpreter was hired by the African National Congress (ANC), South Africa’s ruling party.

She claims the interpreter was already known to the Deaf Federation of South Africa (DeafSA), after previous performances for the ANC raised question marks over his credentials.

The video below from a 2012 ANC Centenery Celebration was analysed by DeafSA, who then compiled a report and sent it to ANC, but they are yet to hear back from the government.

Watch: The interpreter signing along to Jacob Zuma at ANC Centenery Celebrations in Bloemfontein, South Africa in January 2012.

Experts analyse the interpreter

Whilst hundreds of sign languages are in use around the world, both international and South African sign language experts told SBS they did not recognise any of the interpreter’s signs.

Braam Jordaan from WFD told SBS that he appeared to have “made up his own signs.”

"The structure of his hand, facial expressions and the body movements did not follow what the speaker was saying," he told SBS via email.

The Oceania representative for the World Association of Sign Language Interpreters (WASLI), Sheena Walters, also states that the signing used was not recognisable as any accepted form of international or South African sign language.

“It seems quite obvious that the interpreter isn’t using South African sign language,” she told SBS.

“Most sign languages across the world share a similar structure and pattern and this person seems to be making a lot of repetitive signs and isn’t displaying the usual facial expression or structure of sign language that you would normally see.”

At the time of publishing, the ANC has been contacted for comment over the incident but SBS has yet to receive a response.

 


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Source: AFP, SBS

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